MARCH TALK ‘The Restoration of Hestercombe Gardens’ by David Usher
DATE Wednesday March 22nd, 7.30pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

Head Gardener for 18 years, David Usher has a unique insight into the acclaimed gardens at Hestercombe, near Taunton, Somerset. He restored them.

His illustrated talk will include the history of the garden, house and owners, the Bampfyldes in the 18th century, Portmans in the 19th, and the local authority from 1951 when the estate was taken over by the Somerset Fire Brigade.

Using old engravings as guides for the restoration, work started on identifying original features – buildings and garden plants. The lake was cleared – 17,000 tons of silt was excavated – and water flowed down the Great Cascade once again. Derelict classical temples and urns were restored to their former glory and paths made accessible. A replica of the large Victorian terrace in front of the house was built (pictured) overlooking The Great Plat, a great sunken parterre, resplendent with the bright colours specified by garden designer Gertrude Jekyll.

The famous Lutyens and Jeckyll garden, commissioned by Mrs Portman in 1903, was completely overgrown and few of the original plants had survived. Fortunately, the plans had been saved and enabled the restoration to be true to the original Edwardian garden.

Are you competing in the Summer Show this year? See Class 35: ‘A fuchsia plant grown from a young specimen distributed at the March monthly meeting. Any size pot.’ Fancy your chances nurturing a young fuchsia better than anyone else? – then collect your specimen at this meeting. See the Summer Show Schedule HERE.

Refreshments will be on offer before and after the talk.

Local horticulturist Phil Gamble will lead a free apple tree pruning workshop at the Anning Road Community Orchard on the south side of Anning Road, Lyme Regis, (east of the junction with Woodmead Road, just before the first house). Beginning at 10.30am on Sunday March 19th, the session will last for a couple of hours. Under Phil’s watchful eye you could gain hands-on experience of pruning apple trees. Everyone is welcome – no need to book, just turn up – there is no charge.

This is the second pruning workshop of the winter to be led by Phil. The previous meeting in February took place on Slope’s Farm where Turn Lyme Green planted their first apple trees as part of the Community Orchard project seven years ago. Phil showed how to go about the normal winter pruning of apple trees and demonstrated how to deal with problems encountered such as a broken branch on one tree, canker on another, crossing branches, vigorous water shoots and crowded centres. And he pointed out how previous years’ pruning sessions had affected the growth and shape of the trees. Expect more of this at the Anning Road orchard on Sunday March 19th.

Local horticulturist Phil Gamble will be giving an apple tree pruning workshop at the Lyme Regis Community Orchard on Sunday 12th February 2017. The workshop will be at the Woodland Trust’s Slope’s Farm, and begins at 10:30am. Meet at the entrance to Slope’s Farm which is on the western side of the Lym just above Horn Bridge, Colway Lane.
The site is one of three where Turn Lyme Green has planted a total of 19 apple trees for the community. Phil Gamble is well known to Society members for the informative talks he has given.
There is no charge for the workshop and all are welcome.

CEILIDH & SUPPER with dancing to the music of Mischief & Mayhem
DATE Saturday February 25th, 7.30pm to 11pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

Mischief and Mayhem are a three-piece ceilidh band who perform with a caller to lead us gently through the dances and, when we need a rest, will enjoy playing tunes and singing songs. Susan plays the flute, Kelvin an ovation guitar and Brian the button melodeum.

 There will be a hearty supper half way through. Soft drinks will be on sale but bring your own alcohol if you prefer (and glasses).

Tickets £9 (includes supper) available from: Jenni Thomson 01297 445104; Uplyme or Raymonds Hill Post Offices; or Ginger Beer garden shop, Lyme Regis.

FEBRUARY TALK ‘Four Head Gardeners Explore the Wilds of Chile’
DATE Wednesday February 22nd, 7.30pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

The well-travelled Steve Griffith of Abbotsbury Gardens will recount his plant-hunting adventures in South America and show us some of the unusual plants he found on the trip. Steve’s travelling companions were three head gardeners from the Eden Project, Savill Garden and the National Trust for Scotland. The reason for their expedition was to search for plants that were introduced to British gardens by botanist William Lobb over 150 years  ago, a journey that took them through temperate rain forests, snow-capped volcanoes and dry desert hillsides in Chile, the world’s longest country.

Tea and biscuits will be available before and after the talk.

Schedules for the 2017 Summer Show will be ready to collect at this meeting. A new class this year, sponsored by River Cottage, is for a potato tuber grown in a bucket. To make it fair for competitors, the Committee are supplying the bucket and tuber at a cost of £2.50, on sale at this meeting and from Committee members thereafter until they are gone. The prize, Sunday lunch for two at Park Farm, makes it worth entering, even if you have never grown potatoes before.

JANUARY SOCIAL AND SUPPER (bring and share)
DATE Wednesday January 25th 7.30pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

A chance to socialise and join or renew your membership (if you haven’t already), find out what the Society is up to in the coming year, and sign up for forthcoming outings (our first is to Kingston Lacy on March 15th). Plant some sweet peas to take home and grow on, swap surplus seeds with other members, compete in a lighthearted quiz and enjoy a bring-and-share supper.  Please bring along any surplus seeds* to swap and a plate of food ready to eat for the buffet supper. Fruit punch, coffee and tea will be available.

*Seed swap – packets of unopened seeds or part used packets. Seed saved from the garden to be in an envelope and labeled with name.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
DATE Wednesday November 23rd, 7.30pm
VENUE Uplyme Village Hall

In this dormant season the gardening year begins. The same is true for our Horticultural Society. At its AGM on Wednesday we shall reflect on the highlights of 2016 and present some of our ideas for the year ahead – talks, visits, shows and the fundraising events that have given us pleasure in the past.

We hope you will continue your membership of the Society in 2017 and enjoy participating in the activities. We hope also that some members will take on responsibilities – become committee members themselves or volunteer to do work for which they have time and talent.

The AGM is the annual opportunity for members to declare an interest in helping with the smooth running of the Society, particularly necessary this time when we have such committee members as our Vice Chairman Tony Cook retiring, also Gill Wells and Marjorie Waters. We will greatly miss their hard work and ideas. And we need to replace them.

Please give a thought to how you might provide some help, either alone or with a friend or two (perhaps a job-share?) and talk to Chairman Jenny Harding before or on the evening of the AGM on Wednesday November 23rd. (01297 444034) jennyhlyme@hotmail.co.uk

AGENDA for ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2016

1.  Welcome

2.  Apologies

3.  Minutes of 2015 AGM

4.  Matters Arising

5.  Chairman’s report

6.  Treasurer’s report

7.  Summer and Autumn Show

8.  Election of Officers and Committee

9.  Any other business

MINUTES for ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2015

Apologies – there were no apologies.

President’s Welcome – Beryl Denham welcomed members to the meeting and said that it was crucial to co-opt new committee members to enable the Summer Show to take place next year as 3 members were retiring.  She presented cards and gifts and thanked Brian Cursley who had organized the previous 5 shows for his sterling work; Jane Godfrey who had promoted the Millennium Seed Bank plant sponsorship and organized all the membership records and Rob Harvey for his helping at numerous events, organising the Christmas dinners and his excellent lemon drizzle cakes.  Thanks were also expressed to all committee members for their work done, energy and good humour throughout the year.

Minutes of AGM 2015:  Copies of the Minutes were distributed – and following agreement were signed as a true record.

Matters Arising – there were no matters arising.

Chairman’s Report – Jenny Harding welcomed everyone to the AGM and reported that there had been excellent coach trips during the year to NT Greenway & NT Stourhead, Hestercombe, Taunton Flower Show and Hilliers Arboretum.  Monthly meetings had covered topics including herbaceous plants, No Dig Gardening, British Owls, Community Gardening in Dagenham, and the Social Life of the Bumble Bee.  A Curry and Ferret racing Night  in February was a successful fund raising event, and we took part in the Lyme Regis Christmas Tree Festival, and ran stalls at the Uplyme Village Fete and the Lyme May Day fete.  Robin and Rosemary Britton are making an excellent job with publicity and Carole Halden keeps the website up to date and sends out monthly emails.  Jane Godfrey, after 4 years has handed over membership duties to Anita Routley.  Thanks were given to all committee members and helpers who have provided a varied programme of events and outings during 2015 with good attendance and participation from members and visitors.  For the coming year there are plans for a Seed Swap and Social in January, a Bird Watching cruise of the River Exe in February and a Ceilidh in March, and we look forward to seeing you at these events.  We hope to hold the 87^th Summer Show in July 2016 but as 3 committee members have stood down and no-one has come forward to be Show Secretary this may not be possible and so we appeal for volunteers with fresh enthusiasm and energy to come forward.

Treasurers Report:   The Statement of Accounts was distributed which showed an increased membership, Summer Show income was as in previous year, with reduced expenses. Ferret racing profit was £900+ some trips had made a profit, some a small loss, £700 had been given to the Uplyme School from Summer Show profit and £1000 to the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew for sponsorship of the Dorset Heath.  Capital expenditure included mugs and a projector and table for the society’s use in the Village Hall.  Approval of the Accounts was proposed by Rob Harvey, seconded by Ken Gallop and all agreed.

Election of Officers and Committee – President  – Beryl Denham, proposed by Pam Corbin and Seconded by Jane Godfrey.  Secretary –  Rose Mock, proposed by Rob Harvey and Seconded by Pam Corbin.  Treasurer –  John Routley  Proposed by Tony Cook and Seconded by Mrs Driver, were unanimously elected.  Committee of Jenny Harding, Tony Cook, Gill Wells, Pam Corbin, Robin and Rosemary Britton proposed by Priscilla Fortescue and seconded by Jenny Thompson.  Everyone was in favour of these appointments.   Marjorie Waters volunteered to join the new Committee.  Appointment of Auditor –  a replacement  is needed as current auditor is moving away and  would be chosen at the next Committee Meeting.

Show Secretary: Jenny Harding outlined need for a Show Secretary as 16^th July had been booked for the next Summer Show – discussions included suggestion that jobs could be divided into smaller portions, with a show ‘co-ordinator’,  as work has already been done on a Show Schedule, but sponsors will need to be contacted, stall holders  need to be booked, judges contacted etc. If enough people volunteer the workload would be easier, and new people would bring fresh ideas and energy. . Questions raised included reimbursement of Committee expenses, also could someone be paid to do job, with suggestion of £200 honorarium to encourage someone to come forward.  A Sub Committee has been formed to organise the next year’s outings and monthly talks.

There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.10pm.